Why in News ?

India has started “Extension of Hospitals” project in several states to bridge the gap in major health infrastructure to fight against Covid-19 in India

About:

• Project will run especially in rural areas and smaller towns.
• Modular hospitals are an extension of hospital infrastructure.
• It will be built adjacent to existing hospital building.

What is the need of this project?

Amid the second wave of Covid-19, hospitals infrastructures were under immense pressure. Thus, innovative modular hospitals will be coming up as huge relief.

Project ‘Extension Hospitals’

To initiate the project, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) has invited private sector companies, donor organizations, and individuals. They will support the initiative along with several other projects of national importance. About 50 hospitals have been selected across the states where highest number of Covid-19 cases were reported.

Why in News ?

India’s export of agricultural and allied products in 2020-21 have increased by 17.34 percent. It now equals to USD 41.25 billion.

About:

• As per commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan, this growth momentum in Agri export is expected to be sustained during current fiscal as well.
• India experienced huge growth in the export of cereals, wheat, millets, non-basmati rice, maize and other coarse grains.
• Exports have taken place from several clusters for first time. For example, export of fresh vegetables & mangoes from Varanasi and black Rice from Chandauli.
• Exports of agricultural products (excluding marine and plantation products) increased by 28.36 per cent in 2020-21 as opposed to USD 23.23 billion in 2019-20.

Why in News ?

According to commerce secretary, Anup Wadhawan, exports of India’s organic farm products has increased to 51 percent in 2020-21 challenging the hiccups in supply chain amid covid-19.

About:

• Outbound shipments of organic products have hit 1,040 million dollars in last fiscal as compared to 689 million dollars in 2020.
• Farm exports have increased over 17 percent to 41.25 billion dollars in last fiscal.
• Exports of organic products increased by 39 percent and reached to 8 lakh 88 thousand 179 tonnes in terms of volume in last fiscal.
• Organic products that were shipped include oil cake & meals, oil seeds, millets, cereals, spices and condiments, tea, dry fruits, sugar, coffee and medicinal plant products.

Why in News ?

Assam Government has notified Dihing Patkai as a National Park which was the last remaining stretches of the Assam Valley tropical wet evergreen forests.

About:

• This notification comes four days after creating 422-sq. km Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar district of Assam.
• Assam now has the third most National Parks (7) in India.
• Madhya Pradesh with 12 national parks maintains the top slot and it is followed by Andaman & Nicobar Islands having 9 national parks.

Why in News ?

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India has released an independent report and lauded Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) as ‘a successful model of local area development’.

Key findings of report

• As per the report, ADP should serve as a best practice for other countries where regional disparities are persisting with respect to development.
• Report highlights, ADP has made concerted efforts due to which neglected districts in remote locations and those districts affected by Left Wing Extremism are on positive trajectory of growth with more growth and development in last three years.
• Health & nutrition, education, and agriculture & water resources have registered massive improvements.

Why in News ?

Countries including Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been elected unopposed to powerful UN Security Council (UNSC) as non-permanent members for 2022-23 term.

Key Points

• UN General Assembly (UNGA) has held elections to elect five non-permanent members for UNSC. They will take their seats on Council for two-year term from January 1, 2022.
• Five countries won elections unopposed because they were the only candidates from their respective regional groups.

Regional distribution of seats in UNSC

As per regional distribution for 2021 election, three seats were available from African & Asian States. Gabon, Ghana and United Arab Emirates won these three sears. Apart from that, one Latin American and Caribbean Group seat was available for which Brazil was elected while, Albania won Eastern European Group seat.

Election to non-permanent members

Election for the non-permanent members of UNSC is held by secret ballot. Candidates require a two-thirds majority in UNGA to be elected as non-permanent member. Five countries are elected to Council of 15-member (UNSC) as non-permanent members for two-year term.

Why in News ?

US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held meeting recently in Cornwall and inspected documents related to Atlantic Charter and signed a document titled “New Atlantic Charter”.

What is New Atlantic Charter?

New Atlantic Charter is an agreement was signed on June 10, 2021 at 2021 G7 summit in England between Boris Johnson and Joe Biden. It is a new version of the Atlantic Charter of 1941. Agreement was signed to redefine Western alliance.

Objectives of New Atlantic Charter

New Atlantic Charter was signed with the objective of defending principles & institutions of democracy and strengthening & adapting the institutions. Charter seeks to remain united behind principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity & peaceful resolution of disputes. It will also try to maintain collective security & international stability even against cyber threats.  It prioritises climate change across all international action.

Why in News ?

India and Kuwait signed a MoU on cooperation on domestic worker recruitment on June 10, 2021.

About MoU

• This MoU will bring Indian domestic workers in Gulf nation within the legal framework which will provide them protection under law.
• Agreement will also streamline recruitment of domestic workers.
• It will ensure rights and obligations of domestic workers as well as employer.
• A 24-hour assistance mechanism will be established to assist domestic workers.

A joint committee will also be set up to assess and review periodically on implementation of MoU

Why in News ?

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have developed an early cyclone detection technique which will help in early detection of development or strengthening of tropical cyclones in North Indian Ocean region.

About Cyclone Detection Technique

IIT developed this technique using Eddy detection technique. It will investigate formative stages and advance detection time of tropical cyclogenesis. This technique was studied under Climate Change Program with support from Department of Science and Technology. The technique was developed with the aim of identifying initial traces of pre-cyclonic eddy vortices in atmospheric column. It also seeks to track its spatio-temporal evolution. Researchers used a coarser grid resolution of 27 kilometres to identify the characteristics of eddy vortices.

Why in News ?

Alphabet’s Google is all set to build world’s longest undersea cable connecting United States, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. This undersea cable will boost internet connection capacity in these regions.

About:

Undersea cable, called Firmina, will run from East Coast of United States to Las Toninas, Argentina along with additional landings in Praia Grande, Brazil, and Punta del Este, Uruguay. Announcement was made following a surge in demand for internet and cloud services amid covid-19 pandemic which has pushed online shopping, online entertainment, online and work from home culture.

Significance of Firmina

Firmina undersea cable will improve access to Google services for users in South America. It will comprise of 12 fibre pairs which will carry traffic quickly & securely between North & South America. It will thus provide the users fast, low-latency access to Google products like Gmail, Search, YouTube and Google Cloud services.